Knights of Progress
by Bbwine14
Summary: Revised! It has been four years since the incidents in Ex-Machine and the Dojo continues to do their work. Unknown to them Bedlam is building a large army of robots from secret places all over the world. Can Ed defeat Bedlam before its too late? R&R!
1. Anniversary

Hey everyone! It's been so long since I've been on here and I haven't even touched this. Now that I have time, I'm going to revise the current chapters a little bit and continue the story. I hope you enjoy!

It has been four years after the incident with the machine. Ol' skool has still been missing ever since that fateful day. Ever since then, Dojo has helped rebuild the destroyed sectors of Progress City to its former self. Burn has taken over leading the Dojo in Ol' skools absence.

"Alright guys listen up." Burn spoke as he walked over to his crew. Loogie was busy scarfing down his large plate of extra cheesy nachos. Fizz was working on a new invention to help out on deliveries. Deets and Ed were sitting on the couch watching ZG.

Burn grew a little tense. He cleared his throat loudly.

"Hey guys!" He yelled catching their attention.

"What's up Burn?" Ed asked looking over his shoulder. Burn was wearing his casual clothes that he wore during the Hover Squirrel Stomp. Fizz set her screw driver down.

"Why are you all dressed up?"

"Aren't you all forgetting that today is anniversary of Ed's fight with Bedlam?"

"I try to forget." Ed huffed. It was not a day that he wanted to remember any time soon.

"Well hot shot the past three years Loogie, Fizz, and I have taken you out somewhere to have fun. This time its Deets turn and she's picked a cool idea." Burn smiled at him. Fizz and Ed both exchanged confused glances. Loogie was still scarfing down nachos while Dr. Pinch shook his head. Deets giggled and stood up.

"You better get ready. We have to leave soon if we want to make it in time." Her tone made Ed curious. During the first year anniversary Fizz took Ed down the Bizarre and bought a ton of things. They spent the day building and upgrading all of their rides. Two years ago Loogie took him to see a show with the clowns. They were surprisingly nicer than during deliveries. Last year Burn took him down to the race track and raced around for hours. This year, it was Deets turn to show Ed a good time.

Ed looked up at her pretty green eyes. "So where are you taking me this year?" He asked. She put a finger up to his lips.

"I can't tell you Ed. It won't be a surprise that way." She smiled. Ed just sat there as she walked past him. Burn laughed and shook his head.

"Anyway guys we better hurry. Let's style up!" They all changed out of their courier uniforms and into their casual clothes. This time Ed didn't use any of Burn's cologne. When they were ready they met outside their rooms.

"Alright guys are we all ready?" Burn asked.

"For now until Loogie spills hot cheese all over himself again." Dr. Pinch said staring at Loogie.

"Hey it's not my fault that nacho cheese is messy. I had to finish them."

"But you didn't have to spill them all over yourself in the process." Fizz grabbed Loogie's arm.

"Calm down Loogie. Yes Burn, we're all ready." They heard a honk outside. Deets excitedly jumped.

"The taxi's here! Let's go!" She said grabbing Ed's hand and running for the door. The rest of the Dojo followed close behind to the taxi. Deets leaned in and whispered to the cab driver telling him their destination. Ed shook his head at the whole secret thing. Burn was laughing next to him.

"Don't worry about it hotshot. You're going to sap all the fun out of it if you keep it up." Ed gave him an agitated look.

"But Burn, I want to know." Deets sat next to him and gently elbowed him.

"Don't worry Ed."

"Yeah," Fizz added sitting in the seat in front of them. "Deets wouldn't take you to a place where you wouldn't want to be." Ed looked at her then out the taxi window. Unknown to him or the rest of his friends the vehicle had already left the city limits of Progress City. Ed curiously looked around at their surroundings. Ahead of them was an extremely long tunnel.

"Where are we going exactly Deets?" Burn asked folding his arms. Deets sighted.

"You and Ed really are impatient aren't you?" Loogie and Fizz giggled at her statement.

"All I'm going to tell you is its going to take a few hours to get there."

"A few hours?" Ed and Burn said at the same time.

"Yes a few hours."

"It's going to take forever to get there." Ed groaned. Deets shook her head.

"Then take a nap Ed. It'll make the time go by quicker." Ed reluctantly agreed and laid back against the seat.

The sound of the humming engine began to lull him into a relaxing rest. He closed his bright blue eyes and fell quickly asleep. Deets looked over at the sleeping Ed and couldn't help but smile. He looked so peaceful from his usual stressed self.

"He looks so calm now." Deets whispered. Fizz over heard and looked over the seat.

"That's good. He's been so stressed ever since Ol' skool disappeared."

"Yeah. He's been working himself to death to try and find him." Fizz leaned in.

"So Deets, where are you taking us?" Fizz smiled. Deets groaned and shook her head.


	2. The Truth Comes Out

About four hours have passed since the Dojo team left Progress City. The taxi encroached upon its stop near the boardwalk. Burn and Fizz were the first to step out of the vehicle. Burn stretched his arms high above his head.

"It feels great to get out of that crammed ride." Fizz followed close behind.

"Yeah I was getting tired of hearing Loogie snore." She pointed to the strange boy behind her. Loogie shrugged at her remark.

"I don't snore Fizz." Dr. Pinch just stared at him.

"What?"

"You snore louder than a bear."

"Do I really? That is so monkey!" Loogie yelled happily catching up to them. Deets and Ed slowly stepped down onto the wooden walkway and followed behind the gang.

"Did you enjoy your nap Ed?" Deets asked curiously, hiding her smile.

"Yeah it was ok, until I hit my head against something."

"That was me." Ed blushed. He quickly threw up his hands in his defense.

"I, I didn't mean to Deets. I mean…" Deets giggled at his cute attempt.

"Its ok Ed you were asleep." Ed sighed in relief. He looked ahead to see Burn waving at them from the beach. Ed and Deets ran towards him to see that they had their spot all set up.

"Hey Ed, think you can handle a little competition?" Burn challenged pointing at the line of surf boards.

"You know I can." Ed said determined.

"Well then you better get your trunks on and grab a board." Burn yelled running for one of the guys changing room. The rest of them followed close after grabbing their swim suits. After a few minutes Burn ran towards the boards and grabbed one that was black with flames. Ed was about to run to the boards when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" He heard Deets behind him. Ed didn't turn around.

"I'm getting ready to school Burn with those wooden boards." Fizz walked in front of him. She was wearing a purple one piece with bubble print and holding her towel. Deets grip on his shoulder tightened.

"No you're not. You and I have to talk." Ed groaned as he turned around to look at her. He froze when he saw she was wearing a pink bikini and her hair was down below her shoulder blades.

"What?" Deets smiled. She knew that her swim suit would make Ed speechless, but not blush like he was. Deets giggled and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go Ed." He dumbly followed her. Fizz shook her head and walked over to one of the beach chairs to tan. Loogie was burying himself in the sand while Dr. Pinch yelled at him for trying to eat a burger made of sand. Burn was catching huge waves trying to show off to a few girls farther down the beach.

Deets led Ed to a secluded part of the beach and over to one of the hot tubs.

"Come on" She said getting into the nearest hot tub. Ed dipped his left foot into the water as Deets scooted over for him.

"It's really hot!" He said wide eyed as he slowly lowered himself into the water.

"Of course it is. That's why they call it a hot tub." Ed finally relaxed as he got used to the water. He moved to the other side next to Deets.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Deets stared down for a while then looked at him. Ed could tell it was hard for her to say whatever it was.

"Ed, Fizz and I were talking a few days ago and, well…" Deets looked down away from him. He gave her a curious look and reached out to grab her hand. She felt his hand over hers under the water.

"What Deets?" She grasped his hand and looked into his blue eyes.

"Bedlam is back." The words hung in the air for what seemed like forever. Ed sat there confused.

"What, what do you mean? I thought Ol' skool…"

"Whatever Ol' skool did it didn't keep Beldam away. We saw his DNA signature on the map outside Progress. He's been having DNA collect resources for some reason." Ed leaned back surprised. The thought of Bedlam being back send chills down his spine.

"Bedlam is, back?" He asked. Deets nodded.

"Yeah." Ed sat back up and stared into her green eyes.

"If Bedlam is back than I have to stop him." Ed stood up and started getting out, when Deets grabbed his arm.

"You mean WE have to stop him." She said emphasizing the 'we' part. Ed shook his head.

"I can't let any of you get hurt Deets. I'm the protector so I need to do this alone." He turned from her. Deets grew upset and pulled him back into the hot tub. Water flowed over the edges of the hot tub as he landed. He turned to look at her.

"What was that for?" Deets gave him a stern glare.

"You're not doing this alone Ed! We're all going to help you whether you like it or not." Ed shook her grip off of him and sat across from her.

"You don't understand Deets. I can't let any of you help. If any of you got hurt…" Her eyes softened. Deets suddenly understood why Ed was being like this. He was afraid of losing them. She moved to sit next to him and put an arm around him.

"Ed, we're a family. We're not going to let you face Bedlam alone, you should know that. No matter what happens we'll always be right by your side helping you." He shook her arm off of his shoulder. He looked at her with worry in his eyes.

"You still don't get it. If something happened to you Sarah, I'd never forgive myself." This caught her attention. Ed never called her Sarah unless it was real important to him.

"Then tell me what I don't understand." She turned towards Ed and looked at him. He was deep in thought about what to tell her. He turned to her and looked deep into her eyes. She couldn't help but get lost in his eyes. They always gave her a warm feeling, but she wanted to know what he was thinking. She was about to speak when Ed put a finger against her lips. In an instant Deets felt her lips being pressed against his own in one swift motion. She was frozen in shock and couldn't move, not that she really wanted to. When Ed broke contact her cheeks flushed a deep crimson.

"Sarah, I love you. If you got hurt I'd always blame myself. That's why I have to face Beldam alone." Deets sat still stunned and out of breath. His sapphire eyes told her he wasn't lying. He was totally honest. Ed climbed out of the hot tub and walked down along the water line.

Deets watched the young man walk away towards their friends. His blue tinted hair waved in the gentle wind. She could still feel the softness of his lips, see the sparkle in his eyes, and hear those three angelic words. Her heart was pounding in her chest at a million miles an hour.

"You don't have to do this alone Ed. I'll be right along with you. I love you." Deets silently promised him and herself that she would make sure she was.


	3. Not A Good Start

Hey everybody! I hope everyone has liked Knights of Progress so far. The plot line is developing nicely and I am excited to see where this KP will go. Here's the next chapter!

As the sky began losing its golden orange hue, Ed walked up to Fizz and Burn who were talking in their chairs. Loogie was, somewhere buried in the sand still. Ed stood in front of Fizz and Burn blocking the ever dissolving light from the sun.

"Ed, get out of the way." Burn said waving him to the side.

"Why?" Ed asked clenching his fists.

"Why what?" Fizz asked looking up at him.

"Why didn't you tell me about Bedlam?"

"What are you talking about?" Fizz tried to ask without sounding like she knew.

"Why didn't you tell me that you spotted Bedlam's DNA vans outside of Progress? You should've told me!" Ed yelled, his anger slowly building in his eyes. Burn stood up and looked him dead straight in the eyes.

"We didn't tell you because we knew you'd freak, just like you are now." Ed glared at their leader, but Burn didn't move an inch. Ed growled and ran away from them along the rolling water.

"Ed!" Fizz yelled about to chase after him. Burn put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"We knew he was going to act like this. Just give space for now." Loogie suddenly popped out of the sand like a jack in the box. Burn and Fizz both jumped in surprise.

Dr. Pinch was still coughing up sand.

"I told you *cough* that burying yourself in the sand was a bad idea."

"I don't see how because now I'm all red like a tomato." Loogie said proudly posing. Burn shook his head at Loogie. He had either stayed in the sand too long and was scratched all over or he had a really bad sunburn.

"Hey, where did Ed run off to?" Deets asked walking up to them. Fizz turned towards her as Burn told Loogie about using sunscreen.

"Ed ran off after we told him why we didn't tell him from the start." Deets sighed. Burn looked at her hearing her sigh and after finishing his talk.

"We knew this would happen Deets. We just have to give Ed space."

"But we can't let him handle this alone."

"I agree," Fizz spoke up "especially since we have no idea what Beldam is up to." Burn's watch went off, telling him that the taxi to pick them up would be back soon. He walked over to his chair and began folding it up.

"I don't intend on letting him do this alone. We're going to help him." He handed his chair over to Loogie.

"Can you take my things back to the Dojo Loogie?"

"You bet your acorns I will!" Dr. Pinch groaned.

"Sometime you really make me worry." Burn shook his head and started walking over to the changing room.

"What are you going to do Burn?" Deets asked anxiously. Burn stopped and turned to them.

"I'm going to go check out what the deal is with Bedlam. The rest of you go back to the Dojo and wait for Ed." Burn went into the changing room as Fizz tried to protest.

"No way Burn! You're not going out there alone! You just said we're not going to let Ed handle this alone so we won't let you handle it alone either." Burn finished changing and walked up to Fizz.

"I never said I was going out there to the DNA vans. I was going to ask around and see if the other couriers know what's going on." The taxi pulled up and honked its horn at them. They quickly changed and got in the taxi. Deets looked for Ed out of the window. To her misfortune she didn't see him anywhere. Fizz sat next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Deets, he'll be ok. I'm sure Ed will be back at the Dojo when we get back." Deets didn't say a word. She couldn't blame him for storming off like he did.

Fizz knew she was worried and there really wasn't anything she could do to help. Fizz turned in her seat to see Loogie trying to carry all their things down the aisle. He was completely off balance and tripping over his own feet. As he tripped again he slammed into a man holding a large soda. The soda splashed all over the man's torso and lap.

"Awe really?" The man yelled angrily. He turned to Loogie who was flinching from the man.

"Sorry sir." He tried to say, but the man poured the rest of the drink on top of Loogie.

"The nerve of some people." Dr. Pinch said only to get the same treatment by the man's son.

"Why do I even bother?"


	4. A Very Bad Nightmare

Hey everybody! Just so everyone knows the story may start focusing on Ed and Deets more than the others, but I will be sure to try and balance it out as best I can. Enjoy!

Hours had gone by and the sun had set when Burn finally returned home. Everyone asked if he had any new information on Bedlam. Sadly Burn shook his head discouraged.

Burn sighed. "Well for now everyone should go to bed. Tomorrow you start work again so get your rest."

Deets grabbed his arm before he walked away.

"What about Ed?" Burn looked into her green eyes. She was trying to be herself, but he could see the worry in her expression. Burn turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry about Ed. I know him and he'll be back when he's ready." That answer wasn't what Deets was hoping for and they could easily tell.

"Don't worry Deets. Ed will be back real soon." Dr. Pinch said assuringly.

"Maybe Ed was eaten by a massive fish or abducted by alien space monkeys. Or maybe even Bedlam got a hold of him!" Loogie yelled flying around like a saucer. Fizz saw the pink courier's expression at Loogie's last comment. She grabbed him by the arms and dragged him to his room.

"Awe come on guys why can't I be a space monkey?" Loogie protested as he left Deets' sight. Deets turned to the door and sighed. Burn had her sit down on the couch.

"Don't worry Deets. Like I said he'll be back."

"How sure are you?" She asked looking up at her friend.

"I know he'll be back. Ed isn't the type of person to stay away from those close to him for too long." Deets looked down still worried as ever. Burn thought quickly for a second.

"Plus I know he can't stay away from you." He whispered as he walked out towards his room. Deets sat blushing. When she recovered Deets stood and began walking towards her room with a small smile. Instead of going to her room she stopped outside Ed's room. She entered his room and sat on his bed. Tears began to come to her eyes and she didn't care about stopping them. She lifted the covers and curled under them and laid her head on the pillow. It smelled of Ed and his cologne. She smiled and buried her head into the cushion. She heard footsteps outside the door, but she didn't care at all. She felt comfortable and safe in Ed's bed. Soon Deets fell into a deep sleep.

_*10 minutes later*_

_Deets eyes quickly shot open. She was still lying in Ed's bed, but something was wrong. She had a very uneasy feeling. Slowly Deets stood up and walked out of the room. She peered into Fizz's room to see it clean, but totally empty._

"_Fizz?" She asked, but no answer. Deets closed the door and went to Loogie's room. It was messy as always, but Loogie also wasn't there. Deets left and walked over to Burn's room. His room was littered with papers and files of deliveries they have made, but he, as the rest of the Dojo, wasn't in his room. Deets' feeling of uneasiness was growing as she walked nervously into the lounge. _

_Suddenly Deets heard a low rumbling sound outside._

"_What is that?" She asked herself. Just as quickly as it started it stopped. To be on the safe side she powered up and walked outside. The sky was in a cloud of black smoke. Tracks of some type of vehicle had been pressed into the ground._

_Deets started her jet pack and flew up to the hover road above and looked around. There wasn't anyone on the road. It was like a ghost town. The uneasy feeling grew into a sense of fear._

_Out of nowhere she heard footsteps to her left. She turned herself to face the sound and prepared to launch off away, when she noticed it. That gripping blue gaze she longed to see again._

"_Ed!" Deets yelled happily. She started running towards her when he lifted his hand._

"_Run Sarah!" She froze. Why did he call her Sarah? He never calls her Sarah unless it's important. The fear quickly gripped her with its ice cold claws. Something was very wrong!_

_A loud sound rang out of nowhere. Deets ducked covering her head. She had never heard that sound before. It rang and pounded against her ear drums. What was it?_

_Deets scanned her surroundings and saw Ed swaying back and forth. Red was pouring out of his head. He slowly fell to the ground. Deets' eyes spread and tears began to form._

"_Ed!" She cried, but no answer._

"_ED!" She cried even louder, but still no answer. She burst into a full out run to the courier she cared for. She kneeled next to him, took off his helmet, and cradled his head. The swirling blue light in his eyes had faded. His warmth of his skin was seeping out. Ed was slipping away._

"_Ed? Ed please wake up." Deets cried._

"_Ed." She shook him, but he still didn't move. Tears fell onto Ed's paling cheeks._

"_Ed, please." Deets begged. Her heart was tearing to shreds. Her love was lying in her arms, his precious blood oozing out of his head. She closed her eyes and bent over his body. Tears flowed down her cheeks onto her love's chest and her sobs echoed around her. _

_Deets took a breath and opened her eyes and looked around and spotted something. As it got closer fear started gripping her even more. What was approaching her was something she'd never seen before. It was robots, but different. On their chests was Bedlam's symbol which was normal. However, the weaponry they had was totally unknown to her. Suddenly she quickly remembered seeing the weapons in Ol' skool's history books. The robots were holding something similar to a long stick with a telescope on top. They also wore belts along their torsos which held some explosive pineapple looking things. Some robots even sported a long barrel on their shoulders that looked like a container of fireworks. Behind them were several large vehicles with thick armor and long tubes sticking straight out from it. The vehicles had several wheels along their sides that ran on tracks. This was some type of really old tech that Bedlam must have gotten a hold of. The sight made her shiver. This wasn't just courier tech. This was tech designed for war, designed to kill._

_She screamed and took off running in the opposite direction. One of the robots aimed and launched a long metal projectile straight for her at a real fast speed. She screamed trying to get away, but it edged closer and closer._

"Ahh!" Deets screamed jumping up flinging the covers onto the floor. She was looking around in a very cold sweat. She was still in Ed's room, still in his bed.

"It, it was a nightmare?" Deets asked out loud panting as her hearts began to slow down. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked around the room. The covers on the floor began to move. She slowly reached nervously and lifted them up. Immediately her eyes met those sapphire orbs that made her feel so safe.

"Ed!" She gasped and leapt forward wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She let her tears fall down onto his back.

"I had time to think and when I came back I saw you lying in my bed having a nightmare. I decided to leave you be and sleep on the floor." Ed whispered softly into her ear. His voice was soothing to Deets. He turned and reached up wiping the tears from her eyes.

"It must have been a really bad dream." He smiled at her gently touching her cheek. She put her hand over his and closed her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Ed asked curiously. Deets smiled warmly.

"Yeah, I am now."

"Good." He smiled back and slowly stood helping her to her feet. She stared at him wanting to ask him a question, but was afraid of the wrong answer.

"Ed, do, would you mind if, if…" Ed placed a finger against her lips. He knew what she was going to ask.

"Of course you can Deets." Ed motioned her to his bed. She smiled and laid back down. Ed picked up the covers and laid next to her pulling the covers over them. He put one arm over and around her waist and his other arm under her head. She turned to him and lightly kissed him.

"Goodnight Ed. I love you." She smiled burying her head into his chest as she slowly fell asleep.

"Goodnight Deets. I love you to." Ed smiled back kissing her forehead before he too fell asleep. That night they both slept like they never had before, in complete and pure peace.


	5. Schematics

The alarm rang rousing the pink courier from her deep sleep. Deets yawned and stretched. She remembered that she was in Ed's room and the nightmare she had. She also noticed he wasn't there.

"Ed?" Deets asked. She threw the blankets off of her and left his room. Looking around she walked into the lounge to see Burn, Fizz, Loogie, and Ed eating breakfast. Ed turned around and saw her.

"Good morning Deets." Ed smiled waving to a seat next to him. Deets smiled back and walked over to them.

"Good morning." She said pulling out the chair.

"We heard you had a nightmare last night." Fizz said through a mouthful cereal. Deets looked over to her. '_How did she know?' _Deets asked herself. Burn cleared his throat and she turned her head towards him.

"We heard you yelling from Ed's room. You kept screaming his name as if he had died." Deets memory flashed to the moment she saw Ed fall. It sent shivers down her spine. Ed reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry Deets, it was just a dream."

'_But it seemed so real'_ She thought to herself. Loogie looked up from his breakfast.

"Was your nightmare about space monkeys?" Everyone just stared at him, or the pieces of food stuck to his face.

"What is with your obsession about space monkeys?" Dr. Pinch added. Burn waved Loogie off trying to ignore them.

"He did ask a good question though. What was your nightmare about?" The entire table stopped and looked at her. It was as if time froze. Deets glanced down grasping her hands together and told them about her nightmare. Burn sat there as she told them, not really seeing how any of it could be real. Fizz on the other hand was starting to become curious. The urge to look up this old tech was hard to ignore. Ed just sat there, thinking about being attacked by one of those robots, but couldn't wrap his mind around the idea.

"I'm sorry you had the nightmare Deets." Ed said trying to sound sympathetic even though he was still focused on him dying.

"I don't see how any of it could ever be real." Burn huffed clearly unimpressed.

"I don't get why I had the dream. Usually Ed is the one with the lifelike dreams." She motioned to the blue eyed teen.

Ed was about to speak when the alarm went off. Burn got up, left the room, and answered the call. The rest of them sat quietly finishing their breakfast before their leader came back.

"Alright guys listen up. DNA is transporting some type of schematics they stole from the city's archives. They're heading towards Bedlam's tower with it now. This is a very important jack that we have to make. Let's power up." They quickly powered up and headed towards the vans.

"What in the world would Beldam want with schematics?" Ed asked curiously. Fizz looked at her radar.

"I'm not entirely sure, but whatever it is they really want to get it to Bedlam's tower quickly." On her screen the DNA signatures were moving at a real fast speed, almost Mach one. Ed thought for a second.

"Hey Torch." He finally spoke up. Torch appeared floating next to him.

"Hey dude. What's up?"

"Can you access the city archive's main frame and see what they took?"

"No prob man. Just give me a second to get past the firewalls." Fizz looked over to him with an eyebrow raised.

"What would accessing the main frame do?"

"If Torch can access the main frame and see what kind of schematics DNA stole…" Ed began, but was interrupted by Loogie.

"Then maybe we can grasp a better understanding of why they committed such a dangerous heist and why they are gathering all of those invaluable resources." Everyone stared at him mouth a gape.

"What?" Loogie shrugged curiously.

"Did you not hear yourself?" Dr. Pinch asked.

"Something about space monkeys right?" They shook their heads. Ed turned back to Torch.

"Any luck?"

"No, none. Whatever DNA stole they must have wiped it from the archives main frame and its memory." Ed shook his head.

Fizz looked down at her radar again. "We're coming up on them." She yelled. They looked ahead of them and saw three vans taking up the hover road. In the center was one of Bedlam's upgraded DNA vans being escorted by two regular DNA vans. Burn pulled up alongside them all.

"Ok guys this is it. Let's hit them hard and get those schematics back! Loogie distract them!" Loogie smiled pulled out his grappling hook latching onto the back of the upgraded DNA van. He pulled himself to the front of the van and jumped onto the windshield. The DNA clones flinched and tried to swerve, but Loogie gripped onto the edge of the van's windshield with dear life.

"Don't let go Loogie!" Dr. Pinch tried to yell over Loogie's screams.

"I'm trying not to!" Loogie yelled being waved back and forth. The van slammed into the two side vans knocking them out of the Dojo's way.

"Alright, the escort is out of the way. Fizz set charges under the van, Deets on top and sides! Go!" Fizz threw Deets EMP charges at her and Deets flew onto the roof of the van. She quickly attached the patches before the main gun popped up behind her. Deets turned around only to be blasted it.

"Ahh!" She yelled as she fell off the back of the van.

"I've got you Deets!" Ed yelled reaching out to catch her. She landed straight in his arms. Lucky for them Ed didn't lose his balance.

"Thanks Ed." She smiled. Burn drove up next to them as Ed had her stand behind him on the hover board.

"Enough with the flirting you to. Fizz just set the charges on the bottom of the van. Get ready!" Burn drove ahead and turned towards the van. He revved the engine of his cycle and charged towards the van. At the last second he curved out of the way causing the clone driving to steer the van straight into the park. Loogie was still trying to hold his grip, but he was slipping.

"Ug, I think I'm going to lose my nachos!" He yelled as he grabbed his mouth. Fizz pressed a button and the van fell to the ground and skidded leaving a trail of sparks in its wake. Loogie was sent flying into a tree not even ten feet away. He slammed into the bark upside down.

"That was so not monkey." He moaned as he slid down and stumbled to his feet and ran away as best he could. Ed drove up to the back of the van and powered up his slammer. He began cutting away the metal from the back of the van, but it was surprisingly thicker than the other vans before.

"Ed hurry! Backup is coming!" Deets yelled looking behind them to see the two vans coming back.

"I'm cutting as fast as I can!" Ed yelled back as sweat started to form on his forehead. The metal finally fell away and he reached into the van to grab the schematics out of a clone's gooey mess of a hand, but it was just out of his reach. He had cut the hole too small. Deets quickly turned towards Ed and grabbed him under the arms.

"Times up!" She yelled and activated her jet pack. They flew up into the air as the two vans slammed into the other. Ed saw the DNA clones grabbing the schematics and jump into their vans.

"Thanks for using DNA." He heard them say as they drove off again. Deets descended and set Ed down and landed next to him. Burn drove up and took his helmet off. His expression told everything.

"What happened Deets? Ed almost had the drop! Why did you bail?" Ed powered down his slammer and Deets grew angry at Burn.

"I was making sure Ed wasn't smashed by the other vans." Deets defended herself folding her arms. Burn growled and put his helmet back on.

"Well it's too late now. The drop's gone and we failed to jack the schematics." Burn drove off towards the Dojo as fast as he could, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Fizz and Loogie looked at Burn driving off, then at Deets. She was starting to turn red from the building anger. Fizz and Loogie knew not to make her mad so they quietly followed Burn. Ed looked over at Deets worried.

"It's not your fault Deets." He said. Deets turned to him angrily.

"That stupid Burn! Like it was my fault we lost the drop! It was his plan the entire time!"

"I know Deets, its ok though." Deets just kept on ranting as they walked through the park.

"I did exactly what he told me to and tried saving your skin from getting crushed and HE blames me!" Ed grabbed her and spun her around.

"Sarah, calm down!" He yelled. She was frozen for a second, and then breathed deeply.

"Your right Ed. I'm sorry." Ed could see the anger leave her eyes.

"Don't be. If it wasn't for you I would've been crushed between those DNA vans. Thanks." He smiled warmly at which made her smile.

"Let's get back to the Dojo." Ed let go of her and they walked side by side towards the road.

"Hey Deets?" Ed asked thinking of something.

"Yeah?" Deets turned her gaze to him as they continued walking.

"The dream you had, you said the robots were holding some type of weapon right?"

"Yeah, it was some type of stick like in Ol' skool's history books." She shrugged after telling him as if it was no big deal. Ed suddenly froze and grabbed her hand.

"Did you just say it was astick like in Ol' skool's history books?" Ed asked dreading every word.

"Yeah, why?" Deets raised an eyebrow at her friend. She saw urgency and dread swirling in the blue of his eyes.

"Deets, we have to get to the Dojo, now!"


	6. Ed's Dream

The clock tower struck noon as Deets and Ed reached the Dojo. Inside Fizz was tinkering with the computer while Loogie sculpting something out of mashed potatoes. Burn was at the table sorting through papers, obviously still upset. Ed ran towards Fizz.

"Fizz!" He yelled as she typed away on the keys. She looked over her shoulder at him.

"I'm kind of busy Ed. I'm trying to find the vans location."

"But I think I know what was on the schematics!" Fizz's fingers froze and her back stiffened. She turned towards him.

"What?"

"Before Deets grabbed me I was able to get a glance at what was on the schematics." They heard Burn's chair push back as he stood. He walked over to the blue courier.

"Are you sure you know what was on the schematics?" He was hoping to hear some good news.

"Maybe, but I have to look at Ol' skool's history books." Fizz turned off the computer.

"Then let's go!" The gang headed towards the archive room. Burn stopped Deets just outside the door.

"Deets, I'm sorry about earlier."

"Huh?"

"When I yelled at you for saving Ed. I was just angry he didn't get the drop, but thanks for saving him." Deets smiled.

"It's fine Burn. As much as I wanted to get the drop to, I'd rather not see a friend crushed between DNA vans." She stared walking into the archive room.

"Yeah, especially your big crush." Burn laughed expecting her to blush and say something. Deets however just smiled and walked into the room. Fizz, Loogie, and Ed were searching through book after book looking for a specific one of Ol' skool's history books.

Burn headed towards the book directory as Deets walked up to Ed. He was looking through a book that looked extremely old and fragile. She knelt beside him and pulled another old book off the shelf. The cover was made of old leather. The pages were stiff as she opened the book.

'_What kind of book is this? It doesn't look normal.'_ She flipped through the old yellow pages. There were dates scribbled at the top of some of the pages.

"It's a diary." Deets whispered. Her green eyes scanned the ink on the pages surprised by what was written. She looked at the other Dojo members busy at work. Slyly she slid the book into her pack and continued searching.

After hours of searching they still were yet to find the right kind of book Ed needed. Burn stood up from the desk and stretched his back.

"Why haven't we found anything yet?" He asked. Fizz yawned heavily.

"Maybe Ol' skool got rid of those books before he disappeared." Burn walked over to her and helped her to her feet. They could hear Loogie snoring below a pile of books. He walked over and flung the sleeping courier over his shoulder.

"I'm going to keep searching for a while." Ed said flipping through the books.

"Either way, we should get some sleep. Don't stay up too late Ed. We still have jobs to do." With that they walked out of the archive room and towards their rooms. Burn flopped Loogie on his bed. Something squeaked underneath the mattress that made Burn feel a little weird. He himself went into his own room and fell asleep as soon as his own head hit the pillow. Fizz said she'd search the web a little longer for any information. Deets went straight to her room and tried to sleep.

_Ed was still sifting through book after book looking for something that would be helpful. So far he wasn't finding anything. _

"_Come on!" He yelled throwing the book in his hands at the wall. Ed yawned heavily and stretched. He looked at his watch. It was late, almost three in the morning._

"_I guess I should get some sleep." Ed stood up and staggered to his room. Before he reached his room he noticed that everything was fading away. He wiped his eyes and looked around curiously. _

"_What's going on?" Ed suddenly found himself in an empty black void._

"_Where am I?" His voice echoed around him._

"_Ed?" A male voice answered. He turned to see his old mentor._

"_Ol' skool!" Ed yelled running to him. He tried to hug the man, but ran right through him. HE stood there confused then turned to Ol' skool._

"_Listen Ed, I need to tell you something very important." Ed gave him a questioning look._

"_What is it?"_

"_Bedlam has been collecting resources to develop and unleash a massive plan against Progress."_

"_What plan?" Ol' skool shook his head._

"_I don't know. All I know is that it's something deadly." Ed just stared at his mentor confused. What was going to happen?_

"_But right now what I need you to do is this. In the gazebo there is a black box under the table. Inside of it is a book that I want you all to read. Take it to Dr. Hong with the note inside of it. He'll know what to do."_

"_Wait Ol' skool, what are you talking about?" _

"_I've got to go Ed. Remember, listen to the static." With that Ol' skool faded into the black._

"_Wait!" Ed yelled, but his mentor vanished._

Ed jumped awake. He was lying in a pile of books that he had searched through. He pushed himself up and looked at his watch. It read four in the morning. It was just a few hours until the rest of the Dojo woke up. Ed unsteadily walked to his own room to try and sleep. However, all through the night the thought of the black box echoed through his mind. He had to find it and get it open.


	7. The First Strike

The morning came with a new sense of energy for the Dojo team. Burn and Fizz had gotten up early to start breakfast for the gang as Loogie went to check the mail. Deets and Ed had yet to come out of there rooms. Burn looked over to Fizz as he finished setting the table.

"You want to go wake up the love birds or would you rather me do it?" Fizz turned to him holding a spatula.

"Can you do it? The pancakes are almost finished."

"Sure." Burn strode down the hall to Ed's room. Burn knocked on the door, but no answer. He opened the door and Ed wasn't in there.

"Ed?" Burn looked around. Ed was nowhere in there.

"Hmm, maybe he got an early start." Burn sighed and walked over to Deets' door. He knocked, but didn't receive an answer again. He was about to knock again when he noticed that the hall bathroom door was shut and the sound of running water was coming out of it.

'She must be showering. Oh well, she'll smell the food when she's done.' Burn thought to himself as he turned back down the hall.

Inside the bathroom Deets stood under the shower letting the water flow over her head. Her mind was buzzing with confusion and concern. Deets had the same nightmare again last night, more than once.

'Why did I have the dream twice?' She asked herself in her mind. That moment where Ed was killed replayed in her mind like an annoying broken record. The memory made her shiver even under the hot water. She ran her fingers through her hair. It had been a while since her last haircut. It was time for a new hair style.

Deets turned the water off and dried off. She could smell the prepared food. Quickly she changed and headed for the table. Loogie, Fizz, and Burn had already finished eating and had headed out on their morning runs. She saw Ed walking from the direction of the gazebo tired and groggy. In his hands was a black box.

"Ed?" She asked curiously. He looked up tired and exhausted.

"Hey Deets." He smiled.

"Are you ok? You look worn out."

"I am. I've been up all night."

"Why? That seems kind of stupid."

"I had a dream last night, or a vision. I'm not sure." That caught her attention.

"What was it about?"

"Ol' skool told me Bedlam is planning something bad again. He said that this box has something in it, I can't remember what, that would help." Deets thought for a second, then brushed it away.

"We can worry about that later. For now you should get something to eat and then get some sleep." She walked up to him and took the box out of his hands. Ed smiled at her and walked towards the table to eat. Deets carried the box to her room and set it on her dresser. She analyzed it closely. It had a pretty complex lock on it, even though it was a really old lock. She knew she could get it open with time, but for now she needed breakfast.

Deets left her room and walked towards the kitchen. She could see Ed sitting at the couch eating his breakfast and watching ZG on the monitor. She walked towards the living room area when a large rumble shook the dojo. Deets almost lost her balance and Ed fell off of the couch.

"What in the world was that?" He asked wide awake now.

"I have no idea." Deets said startled by whatever it was. Ed quickly grabbed the remote and turned on the news. The anchorman seemed very nervous and startled.

"We're on sir." A voice said off-screen.

"Huh? Oh yes, good." He cleared his throat.

"This is an emergency broadcast. Just moments ago a very large event shook the entire city. Several power grids have gone dark, buildings collapsed, and so far there have only been a few calls of injury to come in." Ed's com beeped rapidly. He looked to see Fizz's number appear with a message saying come outside. He got up and walked to the door. Deets continued watching the broadcast.

"Authorities believe a concentrated explosion with enough force to knock down a building or enough to," There was a pause. "kill someone." Deets sat there stunned. Enough force to kill someone? Who would be crazy enough to do that?

"Deets!" Deets jumped to her feet at Ed's call. She ran out the door and saw Fizz crying into Ed. He looked up to her with a worried face. She lipped him her question.

'What's wrong?' Ed couldn't bring himself to say it. His eyes swirled with pain. Deets hadn't ever seen that look in his eyes. It was, scary to say the least.

"Burn." Was all he said. He pointed to the sky towards a pillar of smoke. Her eyes widened. Deets looked back at him frightened.

"Take Fizz inside." Ed said ushering the young courier to her friend. Deets took Fizz into a comforting hug and looked up at the blue eyed boy. He had powered up and was prepared to go.

"Where are you going?" She asked confusion and fear gripping her voice. Ed turned to her trying to put on a reassuring smile.

"Loogie took Burn to the hospital. I'm going to check on them." Deets hesitated, than nodded.

"I promise I'll call when I get there and tell you how he is." Ed said before speeding off towards the hospital. Deets watched him fade away into the distance. What could have caused this? She helped Fizz inside to get her mind off Burn. Nothing, not even her lab equipment would seem to help. Without a word Fizz just went to bed early. Deets couldn't help seeing her friend like this. She had to try and do something to help.

Suddenly another large rumble shook the town. Fizz jumped up in fear and tackled Deets.

"It's happening again!" She screamed. Deets clenched the purple courier tightly as the roof began to crack. The sound of the rumble seemed closer than the last.

"I wish Ed were here." Deets whispered to herself. Fizz pulled herself up and looked horrified.

"Where is he?"

"He went to the hospital to check on Burn."

"No! Call him back! They're after him!" Deets looked at her confused.

"Who Fizz? Who's after Ed?"

"The robots from your dream Deets! They're after Ed!"


	8. Emily

Ed slowly awoke to the sound of a steady beep above his head. His blue eyes fluttered open to a white room.

He was lying in a soft bed that was tilted at a 45 degree angle. From his right arm extended the clear tube of an IV. Ed scanned the room around him. To his left was a large window overlooking most of Progress City to the west. To his right were two chairs and a table with a glass of ice water.

It took Ed a few seconds to realize that he was in Progress Hospital near the capital. He sat up slowly with his hand to his head. The room was spinning and he had ha huge headache.

"What happened?" He groaned heavily.

"You were in an accident." A voice spoke out. Ed turned toward the door and saw Dr. Hong standing in the frame. He walked over and sat in the closer chair.

"An accident?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, a very bad accident. You were going somewhere, I assume here because of Burn, when an explosion from under you erupted. You were sent flying through the air and slammed into a building."

Ed looked himself over. He was no longer wearing his courier uniform. Instead he was wearing a pair of his dark jeans and socks. His torso was bandaged from his neck down to his stomach. There were also bandages around his head.

"You need to be careful the next few days Ed." Dr. Hong said catching the courier's attention. "You have a bad concussion from the hit and you have a lot of scratches and bruises on your torso."

"What from?"

"Probably shrapnel from the road." Ed was quiet for a minute.

"How did it happen?" Dr. Hong looked away for a second to think.

"I'm not sure boy. The authorities say it was some sort of device that caused the explosion, but we don't have any devices that can cause that much damage." Ed and Dr. Hong just stared at the floor for a minute until Ed looked up.

"How's Burn?"

"He's doing fine. He received a broken leg, but that is it. No permanent damage."

"Good." Dr. Hong stood himself up.

"By the way, there is someone I want you to meet." Ed looked at the doctor curiously as he pressed a button on his communicator. In just a few seconds a girl stood in the doorframe.

"Ed this is my new assistant Emily."

"Your assistant?" Ed looked over her. She was an average girl. The same height he used to be four years ago before Bedlam tried taking over. She had fire red hair that could pop out in a crowded room. She also wore a courier's outfit like his, only green. Emily walked over smiling.

"It's a pleasure to meet one of the best couriers in Progress City." Ed smiled back.

"Thanks. It's nice to meet you to Emily." Dr. Hong put a hand on her shoulder.

"If it wasn't for Emily you would have been laying out in the wreckage for who knows how long."

"You're the one who found me?" Ed asked. Emily nodded.

"Yeah. I saw you all banged up so I called the doctor and we brought you here." Ed looked curiously at them for a second.

"Wait, Dr. Hong what are you doing here anyway?" The doctor laughed.

"Why Ed I am one of the head doctors here. See when Bedlam destroyed parts of the city people with injuries and illnesses streamed in here. The council called for all doctors with experience to come help. So naturally I jumped at the idea."

Ed smiled. It was a while since he had seen the doctor. It was refreshing to see him smile. Ed was about to ask something when they heard a commotion outside the room. Dr. Hong walked up to the door and opened up the door. Ed slowly stood and walked to his side. Outside they saw Loogie bent over the front desk in an awkward position.

"Uh Loogie?" Ed asked curiously. Loogie looked up at him and waved.

"Hey Ed have you seen any nachos? I'm starving!" Ed and Dr. Hong just stared at him. Dr. Pinch pulled himself up.

"Note to you Loogie, no skating in hallways anymore. Oh Ed, Deets was looking for you." Ed suddenly tensed up. He had forgotten about her.

"Where is she?"

"I think in Burn's room five floors up." Ed didn't say another word. He quickly walked to the elevator and hit the up button.

"Ed you can't just leave your room. You need to recover." Dr. Hong insisted.

"I have to see Burn and Deets." There was no arguing with him. The elevator door opened up and Ed walked in. Before the doors closed Emily jumped in.

"What are you doing?" He asked her.

"You're hurt and don't need to be walking around." Ed shook his head.

"I have to see her."

"Well you need someone with medical experience to look after your stubborn butt." She winked. Ed felt awkward. Only Deets had ever winked at him, and it felt weird. Ed was quiet the rest of the ride up the five floors.

Soon the elevator rang and the doors opened on Ed's destination floor. He stepped out into the hall with Emily close behind. The hall had every room filled with severe injury victims of Bedlam's rampage. It was hard to believe there were still areas that hadn't gotten help yet.

Ed walked down the hall to a room that had a sign on it that read 'Burn of Dojo Deliveries'. Ed opened the door and stepped in. Inside he Burn watching the television. Burn saw him walk in and motioned him to be quiet. Ed looked at the other bed that was hidden by the wall. Lying under the sheets was Deets fast asleep. The pillow below her head was stained with tears. Emily tapped him on the shoulder.

"Who are they?" She asked curiously.

"That is Burn. He is the leader of the Dojo crew."

"And the crying girl?" Emily seemed to laugh mockingly. Ed shot her an agitated glare and she stopped.

"That is Deets, my girlfriend."

"Oh." Ed turned and headed toward Burn. Emily glanced down at the pink haired girl and scoffed.

"Well I better go help the doctor. I'll see you later Ed." She winked at him and walked out. Ed shook his head as Burn slightly laughed.

"I think someone has the hots for you."

"I hope not. How are you?"

"In pain, but I'll heal eventually. What about you Ed?"

"You know me. I've been worse. Just a few scratches, bruises, and a concussion." Burn nodded.

"Make sure you take it easy hotshot."

"You to Burn." They both laughed quietly. Deets stirred in the bed. Her eyes fluttered halfway open.

"Who is your visitor Burn?" She asked sounding tired. Ed smiled as the girl fell right back asleep before they could answer.

"When she wakes can you tell her I'm down two floors in room 47?" He asked Burn.

"Of course. Get some rest hotshot. You get to go home tomorrow morning." Ed gave him thumbs up and walked out of the room. He silently walked to the elevator and down to his room. The sun outside had set a while ago. It was around ten o'clock p.m. and Ed could feel the tired coming over him.

Unknown to him or anyone else there was someone in the shadows watching.

"They'll never find me right under their nose." The figure said quietly walking away from the blue haired boy and back to their work.


End file.
